Once upon a time there was a girl who wanted to write. And that would be me. I've moved my journal about my writing life over to LiveJournal http://susanwrites.livejournal.com
This blog will be filled with writing prompts and exercises so we can all write on right now! Please feel free to share your favorites.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

How important is catalog copy?

I'm frustrated. I just got the catalog featuring my new picture book Oliver's Must-Do List. I find the page, nice large photograph of the cover. Nice picture of me. Nice picture of the illustrator. But the copy...oh no. I'm worried about it. Way back when I was going over the copy edits I expressed concern about the flap copy. They suggested I write it how I wanted it to be so I did and, thankfully, that's what they used. But the catalog has the original flap copy that is dry and gives away half of the book. (sigh) If the buyers depend on catalog copy to buy the book I am really worried.

I think I was just in panic mode. One of my friends looked it up in her catalog and said it looked great and that the art was really fun, which it is. The illustrator has done a lot of those Highlights hidden pictures things so there are a lot of subtle things for kids to look for in the art.

Im not sure about catalog copy, but I know jacket flap copy can haunt you for years. On my first book, SAY HEY! I described myself as a self-taught artist. I am self taught, but I didn't realize that would become a selling feature...EVERYWHERE. It was use on the jacket flap, the description showed up in reviews, in picturebook articles about the book and even on future copy pertaining to me. I had to tell future editors that although I am self-taught, I'm uncomfortable being identified that way. I don't know why.

*sigh* Sending you big hugs! not that you're asking for advice, and not that I've had direct experience with this, but since it's something you can't fix/control now, try and let go, and focus on the positives - like your wonderful book! I'm looking forward to reading it! :)debbi

Don, thanks for sharing. I made a goof on my flap copy with Can I Pray too. Nothing bad but it was my first picture book and I thought they might edit it and stuff. I was trying to be "cute" which is something I don't do very well, and they left it as it was. (sigh)

Debbi, thanks for the hug. I'm feeling better now. Probably because I am hoping to have some big news to share very soon.

Try not to dwell on it. Your book will long outlive the first catalog.

Don Tate II said, "I know jacket flap copy can haunt you for years." I can so relate! I had nothing to do with the jacket flap copies for either of my books. I was asked to fill out a personality questionnaire thingy when I got the contract for the first. I must have noted on it somewhere that I like Scrabble (which, at the time, was my favorite board game).

Well, on the book jacket flaps I'm described as "an avid Scrabble player."

Do you know how many kids have challenged me to a game of Scrabble in the past 8 years?!?

Who am I? I was born on the Cancer/Leo cusp and share a birthday with Ernest Hemingway and Robin Williams.
The similarities don't stop there as I can go from depressed to ecstatic without ever passing go.
I feel scared most of the time though my friends call me brave and I find it easier to believe in my
friends than to belive in my own abilities to make what I want out of my life.

Who am I? A wife, a mother, a daughter, and even, gulp, a grandmother.

Who am I? A writer who never gets tired of playing with words, even when the words are hard to find.
A writer of books for children and articles for grown-ups and many things in-between.